“’Sup, Tex,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Just want to let you know I’m about twenty minutes away. Thanks again for setting this up. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime tomorrow.”
She hit send, then set her phone back in her cup holder. She was going to make the best of this weekend. She just had to figure out how to spend forty-eight hours at Big Rock Ranch while pretending she had no intention of spending any time with Sam. It wasn’t the point of this trip. She needed to rest. She needed to do therapeutic things like taking in the fresh air and petting a horse or two. Maybe she’d even ride a horse. Wouldn’t that be something. She was definitely going to sleep in and she wasn’t going to spend one minute thinking about if and how Dru was taking care of herself. She had to give herself permission to be off the clock, mentally and emotionally. She’d be back to work soon enough. This weekend was about Amanda and Amanda only.
She passed through the town center of Charming, crossing through the other side to the area populated with horse ranches and produce farms. Soon the ranch came into view, the lights from the main lodge creating a break in a dark expanse of the landscape. Amanda let out a deep breath as she slowed her car and pulled through the large gates, set with a massiveBandRon either side. She’d been there just a week ago, but this time felt different. She knew exactly what the difference was, but she refused to acknowledge it.
She pulled to a stop in the curved driveway of the main lodge and reached for her phone and purse as two young guys, one Asian and one Latinx, approached the car.
The young Asian guy came around the side and opened the driver’s-side door for her. Amanda shivered as the cool night air washed over her while she pulled her phone off its charger and shoved it into her purse.
“Evening, Miss McQueen. Welcome to Big Rock Ranch. May I park your car for you?”
“Yes, thank you—Oh my God. I’m sorry. I don’t have cash.” She’d been in such a hurry, she’d forgotten to stop by the bank or hit up a CVS for some cash back. “Is there an ATM inside?” she asked as she stepped out of the car. She shrugged on her own coat.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said with a smile.
“Of course I will. I’ll make sure I get you guys.” Amanda knew they’d probably heard that line plenty of times from cheap guests, but she meant in. She noted the nameMATTHEWembroidered into the breast of his jacket before she opened the back door and grabbed her weekend bag and her laptop backpack.
“Can I take your bags for you?” the other young guy with ELI embroidered on his jacket asked as she came around the front of the car.
“I got it, but thank you.”
“Sure. Front desk is right through here.” He shot Amanda a friendly wink as he opened the manual side of the entrance for her. As she stepped into the comfort of the rustic lobby, the momentary warmth she’d felt from her pleasant interaction with Matthew and Eli dropped to her knees. Sam Pleasant was standing there, leaning against the front desk. Amanda felt herself swallow as she took in the sight of him. How did a man look so good in jeans, a flannel shirt and wool lined canvas jacket? The cowboy hat dangling from his fingers didn’t help one bit and neither did the small dog sniffing around at his feet.
He’d been working on a serious five o’clock shadow when she’d run into him earlier in the week. She’d been too upset to process it as something she should add to her Late Night Alone Time files, but now that five o’clock shadow was showing the beginnings of a very nice beard.
Amanda didn’t deserve this sort of torture. She had two seconds to figure out how she was going to handle it.
“Hey,” Sam said with a bright smile as Amanda crossed the recently polished stone floor.
“Hey. You didn’t have to meet me here,” she replied, her voice sounding less than calm and cool.
“Of course I did. You’re my guest.” He stepped closer so they were only a few feet apart, but Amanda could tell he was stopping himself from moving any closer, or even hugging her. She’d drawn her boundaries and he was respecting them, but why did she suddenly regret drawing those lines in the sand? “Good to see you.”
“Same,” Amanda said, and smiled back at him before she turned to the young Black man behind the desk. His name tag saidTANNER. “Hi.”
“Welcome to Big Rock Ranch, Miss McQueen. We have suite twenty-four all ready for you.”
“Oh no, Sam. I don’t need a suite—”
“It’s fine,” he replied, waving her off.
“We had a last-minute cancellation,” Tanner added.
“The Hummingbird cabin popped up, but I figured you didn’t want to be out there alone so you’re in the suite. You just spread out in that huge bed.”
“I guess it won’t be all bad,” Amanda admitted as she took the keycard from Tanner’s outstretched hand.
“You want me to walk down there with you?”
“Ah, sure.”
“Tanner, I’m gonna leave Poppy here a minute,” he said as he nodded to the small sandy brown dog with a black muzzle sniffing at her sneakers.
“No!” Amanda bit her lips like she could take her sudden and unexpected enthusiasm back. “You—you can bring her.” She glanced at Tanner for final approval.
He held up his hands. “He’s practically my boss, so that call is between the two of you,” he laughed. “Can I pick her up?” Amanda asked just as the small dog hopped up, resting its front paws on Amanda’s thighs. It stretched out its little body and let out the most adorable yawn while looking right up at her.
“Well, I think you have to,” Sam said, a smile in his voice. “Here.” He slid on his cowboy hat, then took Amanda’s bags from her and just as quickly she reached down and scooped the adorable mutt up into the cradle of her arms. The pup immediately started licking the side of her hand.